


Aftermath

by fandomgurl77



Category: Dumbo(2019)
Genre: Animals, Birthday, Bittersweet, Blood, Bombs, Cool!, Crime, Death, Ehehe, Evacuation, Eventual Smut, F/M, Flashbacks, I Can't Believe I Wrote This, I'm insane writing at this time, I'm tired, Marriage Proposal, Memories, OHHH, Pets, Radio, Returning Home, Sad, Scary, Surprises, Survival, Tearjerker, Tears, V.A you idiot, War, Wedding, Whoa!, Wow, aaahhh!, and thirsty, aww how cute, beautiful car, but not too much, country home, movie, phew!, saved - Freeform, the car's safe, there's a fire!, what have you done, what's a t.v?, what?, yay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-02
Updated: 2020-07-07
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:20:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 18
Words: 8,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25033093
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fandomgurl77/pseuds/fandomgurl77
Summary: After Dreamland burns down, Sotheby heads back home to start over, where a past lover shows up by random chance and life is peachy.Then WWII starts and all hell breaks loose...
Relationships: Sotheby/OC





	1. Chapter 1

_May 26, 1919_

_10:34 p.m. (approximately)_

_Dreamland, Coney Island_

Suddenly, there was a figure heading towards the base of the Power Tower in a mad dash as the fire began to spread.

 _‘The car!’_ the figure, Sotheby thought as he ran against the flow of screaming crowds as they ran towards the main gates, _‘Oh no…’_

**A few long seconds later…**

_‘Phew!’_ he thought as he flung the door open, sat down and started the engine, _‘Time to get out of here.’_

Suddenly, there was a sharp bang on the outside of the door as a man and his pregnant wife desperately attempted to get his attention.

 _‘What the…’_ Sotheby thought before lowering the window and asking, ‘Can I help you?’

‘Please sir’, the man begged, ‘My wife can’t walk any further to escape the flames!’

‘Ok then’, Sotheby said as flickering red tongues of flame came within inches of igniting the fuel tank, ‘Get in the back, quickly.’

‘Thank you, sir’, the man said, ‘You’re a life saver.’

After the back door was closed, Sotheby drove the car at speed to the Colosseum before heading to the exit as the inferno behind them grew more intense.

 _‘Holy cheese!’_ Sotheby thought as the track of the Rocket to the Moon rollercoaster began collapsing, sending flaming steel down onto the path/road in front of the car before opening the separator window and saying, ‘This is going to be a bumpy ride…’

‘AAAHHH! The two passengers screamed in terror as the car swerved in and out all over the place to avoid the molten obstacles raining down from above.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, the car made it through the gate just before the large rocket-shaped structure fell across the road and exploded into flame.

 _‘Phew!’_ Sotheby thought when he stopped the car, got out and opened the back door before saying, ‘We’re safely outside now.’

‘Thank you so much!’ the man said as he and his wife got out, ‘We would surely have died if it weren’t for you.’

‘Yes’, Sotheby said, ‘And this beauty of a car would have been destroyed as well.’

‘Yeah’, the man’s wife said as she looked back at the now raging inferno consuming Dreamland, ‘It’s sad that Coney Island has lost one of its greatest attractions tonight.’

‘I know’, Sotheby said sadly, trying hard not to let his emotions out, ‘I…can’t believe it myself.’


	2. Chapter 2

‘Ah’, Sotheby said when he turned and saw his now ex-boss standing as still as a statue in utter shock while watching his masterpiece burn to the ground, ‘Sir, I just came to say…’

‘It’s all gone…’ Vandevere said on the verge of tears, ‘My only chance at life…ruined!’

‘Anyway’, Sotheby said, ‘I was going to say that I saved the car from the flames.’

However, he was not prepared for what happened next.

‘What the?’ Vandevere asked, ‘I don’t give a damn if that trash-heap is safe!

‘What?’ Sotheby said in a confused voice, ‘But, sir…’

‘Don’t you “sir” me, fool!’ Vandevere growled, ‘Can’t you see that _this_ is all **your** fault!?’

‘Actually, it is _yours_ ’, Sotheby said.

‘Take a hike, lumpkin!’ Vandevere shouted, ‘I don’t want to see you **ever** again!! Understand!?’

‘Well, if you say so’, Sotheby said, ‘But what about the car?’

‘Take it’, Vandevere said, ‘It’s yours now.’

‘Really?’ Sotheby asked.

‘Yes’, Vandevere replied, ‘Like I said before, I couldn’t care less about what happens to it.’

‘Ok then’, Sotheby said, ‘I’ll take it.’

Suddenly, another bald-headed man ran up to Vandevere in response to the shouting a few seconds ago before laying his eyes on Sotheby.

‘Hey, Sotheby’, the man, Skellig, said before his tone turned cold, ‘Get out of here or face the consequences!’

‘What do you mean?’ Sotheby asked.

‘Ha!’ Skellig replied, ‘You won’t be able to do anything with _that_ weak frame of yours; it’s a joke!’

‘I’d watch it if I were you’, Sotheby said, ‘Let me remind you that I’m an expert kick-boxer.’

However, Skellig was still smirking at his last comment.

‘Ha, you’re a joke!’ he laughed, ‘Really puts the “butt” in butler, even though there’s only one “t!”’

This comment was met with a swift kick to the side, causing Skellig to almost knock Vandevere over.

‘Now you’ve done it!!’ he screamed before grabbing Sotheby’s neck to strangle him, ‘This is what an upmarket, hoity-toity prick like **YOU** deserves!!!’

‘WHAT!?’ Sotheby asked, obviously enraged by the insult, ‘What did you just say!?’

‘I said you’re…a “hoity-toity prick!”’ Skellig replied, ‘Or is that too complex for you, old goat?’

‘HIYAH!!’ Sotheby said as he kicked Skellig hard between the legs, causing him to fall backwards in pain.

‘Not so confident now, are you?’ Sotheby asked a greatly-pained Skellig, ‘ **Never** insult my lineage again! Understand?’

‘Oooohhh…’’ Skellig groaned just as the cops showed up.

‘What’s going on here?’ one of them asked.

‘These two men were hurling insults at me for no reason’, Sotheby replied, ‘The man on the ground even tried to kill me via strangulation.’

‘I see’, the officer said before his two colleagues handcuffed Vandevere and Skellig, ‘You two are coming with us!’

 _‘Goodbye, hopeless bastards’_ , Sotheby thought as they were led to a waiting wagon across the road before he returned to the car and drove away, _‘Hope you enjoy jail!’_


	3. Chapter 3

Six years later, eight months after Vandevere’s sudden death, Sotheby decided to move back home and take the car with him.

_‘Ah’_ , he thought as he drove up the ramp and onto the ship, _‘Soon I’ll be home and able to start anew.’_

**Six days later…**

Sotheby was at the local general store when a familiar person caught his attention.

 _‘No…’_ he thought, _‘It can’t be…’_

As if on cue, this person walked up to him and asked him a question.

‘Sotheby?’ she asked, ‘Is that you?’

‘Um, well, yes’, Sotheby said, ‘I haven’t seen you in ages, Gloria.’

‘I’ve missed you too, dear’, Gloria said, ‘So, how’s life been treating you?’

‘Well’, Sotheby said, ‘The place where I worked in New York got burned down six years ago and my boss was sent to live in a mental asylum; he passed away eight months ago.’

‘Oh’, Gloria said, ‘I’m so sorry to hear that. Anyway though, I’ve long since retired from my job as a housemaid myself.’

‘Besides’, Sotheby said, ‘He gave me his car after the fire, so it’s not as if I lost everything.’

‘Really?’ Gloria said, ‘Let’s go see it, then.’

‘Ok’, Sotheby said, ‘I’ll just have to pay for these items first.’

‘Sure’, Gloria said, ‘I’ll be right outside.

However, she was definitely not prepared for what greeted her outside the door; a large crowd of people gathered around something at the side of the road.

 _‘What are all these people doing here?’_ Gloria thought as she slowly made her way through the crowd, _‘Has there been an accident or something?’_

Fortunately, this was confirmed not to be the case when she heard something.

‘Whose car is this?’ a man asked in awe.

‘Wow!!’ some children said while pointing at the dark-green vehicle.

‘I _never_ thought I’d see…a Rolls-Royce in this town!’ a woman said.

Just then, Sotheby made his way through the crowd to the vehicle and Gloria.

‘So, Gloria’, he said, ‘Ready to go home?’

‘Yes, dear’, Gloria said before they got into the front seats and drove off, leaving the crowd in their wake before for a few seconds before everything went back to normal.


	4. Chapter 4

‘Well’, Sotheby said after driving for five minutes down a long, country lane before coming to a medium-sized villa, ‘This is it; we’re home.’

‘Wait a minute’, Gloria said, ‘How did you…’

‘I had already purchased this place with the money I’d inherited before I went to America’, Sotheby said, ‘We can live out the rest of our lives here.’

‘Thank you, Sotheby’, Gloria said before they kissed, ‘I suppose we should go inside now.’

‘Indeed’, Sotheby said as he opened his door.

**Half an hour later…**

‘Sotheby’, Gloria said, ‘Since this place is so new, how’s about we “christen” it?’

‘What do you mean?’ Sotheby asked with his eyebrow raised.

‘I think you know…’ Gloria replied.

‘Oh’, Sotheby said as he stood up and walked over to the gramophone, ‘Sure. But first, let’s put some music on to set the mood.’

‘Ok’, Gloria said as she walked around closing the curtains, ‘We’ll reopen everything afterwards.’

‘This is going to be great’, Sotheby said.

‘Let’s get started then’, Gloria said as she began to undress, as did Sotheby.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this chapter is so short - I didn't think it would fit well with the previous one.


	5. Chapter 5

The following Saturday, Sotheby decided to take Gloria out for dinner for her 52nd birthday.

‘So’, Gloria said while wearing a blindfold, ‘Where are we going?’

‘Ah’, Sotheby said, ‘It’s a surprise.’

**A few minutes later…**

‘Right’, Sotheby said when he parked the car in front of a large building and turned the engine off, ‘You can take the blindfold off now.’

‘Ok’, Gloria said as she untied the piece of fabric covering her piercing brown eyes, only to be awe-struck with what was in front of her.

‘WOW!!’ she exclaimed upon seeing the name, ‘You’re taking me to _The Diamond_?’

‘Yes, my dear’, Sotheby said, ‘I know how you’ve always wanted to go to a 5-star restaurant, so I decided to finally do it for your birthday.’

‘Thank you, Sotheby’, Gloria said as he opened her door before she stood up, ‘Let’s go inside then.’

**One delicious meal later…**

‘That was amazing, dear’, Gloria said.

‘I knew you would like it’, Sotheby said.

‘I didn’t just like it’, Gloria said, ‘I loved it.’

‘Anyway’, Sotheby said, ‘I’ve got another surprise for you tonight.’

‘Really?’ Gloria asked, ‘What is it?’

‘Well’, he said when he put two tickets on the table, ‘I thought of going to see a film together.’

‘Yes please’, Gloria said, ‘I’d enjoy that. What’s the film called?

‘It’s called _Naughty but Nice_ ’, Sotheby said, ‘It’s a romantic comedy produced and directed by my ex-boss, V.A Vandevere.’

‘What?’ Gloria said, ‘ _He_ produced films?’

‘Well, yes’, Sotheby said, ‘But only for a few years from 1913 to 1917. Anyway, the film starts in 20 minutes, so we better get a move on.’

‘Ok’, Gloria said before they went up front to pay the bill.’

**Fifteen minutes later…**

‘Two adults for _Naughty but Nice_ please’, Sotheby said through the hole in the window of the ticket booth at the picture house as he handed the two tickets over.

‘Thank you’, the person in the booth said when he hole-punched and returned them, ‘Enjoy the film.’

‘Thank you’, Sotheby said before he and Gloria walked through the doors.

‘Hm…’ Sotheby said a few seconds later as they climbed the stairs in the half-full theatre to the back row, ‘Row 1…row 2…3…4…5…6…7…8…9…and, ah! Row 10.’

‘Thank you for bringing me here tonight’, Gloria said.

‘No problem’, Sotheby whispered as the lights dimmed down and the went out entirely before a piano began playing at the front of the theatre as the curtains opened and the VAV logo/introduction sequence appeared on the screen.

‘Just ignore the “Come to Dreamland, Coney Is., NY, U.S.A for more fun!!” bit below the logo’, Sotheby whispered, ‘It’s gone now.’

‘Ok’, Gloria whispered as the title and credits started to cycle through, which was when she saw a name that caught her attention.

 _‘Sotheby’s a character named Mervin in this film??’_ she thought as the credits finished a minute later.

‘Oh’, Sotheby whispered approximately 20 minutes into the film, ‘This is my second favourite part, the part where Mervin kisses the female guest, Minerva Bergamot, played by Collette Marchant, in the hallway.’

‘Nice’, Gloria whispered before they kissed as the characters on the screen were doing the same.

**Fifty-five minutes later – including a ten-minute intermission…**

‘Sotheby’, Gloria said as they left the theatre to the car, ‘I didn’t know you were in films as well.’

‘Well’, Sotheby said, ‘That was the only film I had a part in; I played Mervin the butler, who subsequently got sacked for gross misconduct by the end – the worst part about it, in my opinion.’

‘Yes’, Gloria said, ‘The fact that you actually _were_ fired from your job at the Larson Estate all those years ago doesn’t help.’

‘I know’, Sotheby said as he opened the driver’s door and sat down while Gloria did the same with the front passenger’s side, ‘I just wonder if Vandevere based the character in part off what I told him years before about me having been fired.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was in part inspired by the song Kissin' in the Back Row of the Movies, since the lyrics mention Saturday night.


	6. Chapter 6

Three years later, on October 1st, 1928, Sotheby said he had a surprise for Gloria.

‘What is it?’ Gloria asked.

‘I have something to show you in the garden’, Sotheby said.

‘Ok’, Gloria said, ‘I’ll be out in a minute.’

‘Ok’, Gloria said, ‘What do you want to show me?’

‘ _This_ ’, Sotheby said as he opened his hand to reveal a small, dark-blue coloured velvet box.

‘Is that…’ Gloria began with her eyes bulging.

‘Yes’, Sotheby said when he opened the box, revealing a silver ring.

He then knelt down on one knee and said, ‘Gloria, dear, I’ve loved you for all these years ever since I first laid eyes on you. Will you marry me?’

‘Oh…my…goodness!!’ Gloria sobbed, ‘YES!!’

On March 21st the following year, they were finally married after years of separation.

‘Well’, Sotheby said as they walked outside the chapel with a small crowd of people behind them, ‘We finally did it; it was originally supposed to happen in summer 1899, but I unfortunately got fired before then, and then I bumped into V.A Vandevere by chance while he was on holiday, so I moved to New York to work for him, which resulted in years of us being apart.

‘I’m so glad we’ve done it now’, Gloria said before they kissed.

‘Oh, and that reminds me’, Sotheby said when they broke the kiss, ‘I have a surprise for you at home.’

‘Oh, boy’, Gloria said, ‘Tell me what it is?’

‘I can’t, sorry. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be a surprise now, would it.’

‘Aww, come on’, Gloria said, ‘Not even a hint?’

‘Nope’, Sotheby said, ‘You’ll have to wait and see when we get home. For now, though, it’s time for the reception!’

**Two hours later…**

‘Finally, we’re back home’, Sotheby said when he parked the car in the garage and locked it before he and Gloria walked outside.

‘Ok’, Gloria said, ‘Where is the surprise?’

‘Fine, I’ll give you a hint; the big, black gates at the front of the section that close across the driveway are new.’

‘O…k?’ Gloria said, confused about what hand just been said, ‘So, the surprise is a pair of new gates?’

‘Well, partially’, Sotheby said, ‘The other part is around the back.’

‘Ok’, Gloria said before walking around the back of the garage, where she could hear something.

‘Oh, my goodness!’ she exclaimed when she peered around the corner and saw a small, brown and hairy dog and kennel, before running back to Sotheby.

‘Sotheby’, she said, ‘You got us a dog?’

‘Yes, dear’, Sotheby said as he closed and locked the gates, ‘My family has had dogs since I was born and before, so I thought I’d get one of our own.’

‘What a good idea’, Gloria said, ‘By the way, it was the perfect surprise.’

‘Thank you, dear’, Sotheby said, ‘I knew you would like it.’


	7. Chapter 7

The next 10 years were filled with fun and laughter, until September 1939 came around, the start of which bought some grim news.

‘Gloria!’ Sotheby said as he ran up the hall to Gloria’s room with the morning paper, ‘Have a look at this.’

‘Oh, my goodness!’ Gloria said as she read the headline, ‘Poland’s been invaded?’

‘I’m afraid so’, Sotheby said before thinking, _‘Darn you, Hitler!’_

‘Oh, my…’ Gloria said, ‘And considering the power backing him, things could get bad…’

‘Yes’, Sotheby said, ‘The situation could get very bad in the near future, even going as far as…’

‘You don’t mean…we could be plunged into war again do you?’ Gloria asked.

‘It’s highly probable, given the circumstances’, Sotheby said, ‘However, we have each other, whatever happens, plus we’re isolated in the country, not in the middle of a city, which they’ll likely bomb if Britain is pulled in again.’

‘Let’s just hope that it doesn’t happen’, Gloria said.

‘Anyway, it’s time for breakfast’, Sotheby said before they walked down to the kitchen, ‘I hope like hell it doesn’t escalate to that either.’

Unfortunately, by 1940, their worst fears are realised; the country is fully involved in the resultant war.

‘This is unbelievable!’ Gloria said, ‘We’re going to have to begin rationing food because of the conflict, and what about the dog?’

‘We’ll survive somehow, no matter how tough it gets’, Sotheby said, ‘As far as the dog is concerned, she’ll have to live off scraps from meals for now; there’s already restrictions and limits on some items at the local general store, and it’s only going to get worse.’


	8. Chapter 8

_During the next half-year, train-loads of children were evacuated from the cities to different country towns to live with host families until it was safe to return home..._

‘What the…’ Gloria said when she heard frantic barking, ‘What the heck’s going on?’

‘Someone’s at the gate’, Sotheby said as he walked over to the patio door and opened it, ‘Let’s go and see what they want.’

 _‘Yes’_ , Gloria thought while walking towards the gates.

However, they didn’t exactly expect three siblings – two boys and one girl, all under 10 years old, to be standing on the other side with their suitcases.

‘Hey there, kids’, Sotheby said, ‘What do you want?’

‘We’ve been evacuated from London because of the war’, the eldest of the three, Brian, said, ‘They’ve chosen you to be our hosts.’

‘Who have?’ Gloria asked.

‘The authorities when we got off the train at the station’, Brian’s sister, Sasha, replied.

‘I see’, Sotheby said while unlocking and opening the gates, ‘Ok then, you can come in.’

‘Thank you!’ the three kids said simultaneously as they walked through.

‘Aww, how cute!’ Brian said as the small, brown dog walked around sniffing the new smells, ‘What’s his name?’

‘Well’, Sotheby said, ‘ _Her_ name is Pasha.’

‘Oh’, Brian said before he patted Pasha lightly on the head, ‘Pleased to meet you, Pasha. We’ll be staying here for quite a while going by the looks of things.’

The dog yelped in response before running off as Sotheby closed the gates.

‘Now’, Gloria said, ‘Let’s get you three settled in.’

‘Ok’, the kids said simultaneously as the five of them walked to the house.

**Later that afternoon…**

‘Hey’, Brian whispered to his brother, Kieran, while Sotheby was asleep in the rocking chair in the lounge while Gloria was in the bedroom, ‘How’s about we check this place out?’

‘That’s a great idea’, Kieran whispered before the two quietly tiptoed through the patio door and closed it, ‘There must be something to do out here.’

It was then that Sasha ran up to them excitedly from the direction of the gates.

‘Guys’, she said, ‘You ought to come and check this out.’

‘Ok’, Brian said, ‘What is it?’

‘The garage’, Sasha said, ‘It’s amazing; you won’t believe your eyes!’

‘Let’s go then!’ Brian said as they ran to the garage, opened the back door and stepped inside.

‘See?’ Sasha said as the boys stood there, absolutely flabbergasted at what they were seeing, ‘I told you it was amazing.’

‘WOW!’ Kieran and Brain exclaimed simultaneously as they walked up to the car, ‘This is unbelievable!’

‘Never in a million years did I think I would see a car like this parked in a dark and cramped garage’, Brian said.

‘Yes’, Kieran said, ‘It’s a Rolls-Royce, for crying out loud, it deserves to be in a much better place than here, don’t you think?’

‘That was what I was going to say’, Brian said as he put his hand on the statuette at the front while his brother found something between the back door and runner-board.

‘Brian’, he said, ‘Look at this.’

‘What is it?’ Brian said before noticing the small, golden plaque.

_“Brewster & Co. _

_New York”_

‘Blimey’, Brian said, ‘This must have been in America at some time.’

‘Yes’, Kieran said, ‘Whoever owned it, they must have been very wealthy.’

Meanwhile, Sotheby had just woken up and walked up the hall to speak to Gloria.

‘Gloria, dear’, he said, ‘Have you seen the kids anywhere?’

‘No’, Gloria said, ‘I thought they were either in their rooms or the garden.’

‘I’ve checked the rooms and they not in there, plus I don’t think they’d be in the garden on a day like today’, Sotheby said.

‘Hmm…’ Gloria said, ‘Where could they be?’

It was then that Sotheby realised something.

‘Sotheby?’ Gloria asked, ‘What’s wrong, dear?’

‘Blimey!’ Sotheby replied, ‘They must be in the garage!’

‘Come on, then’, Gloria said, realising what this could mean, ‘Better go and see what’s going on.’

‘Right with you’, Sotheby said as they rushed down the hall and outside towards the garage.

Suddenly, Sasha heard footsteps on the stones outside, gradually getting louder as they approached the door.

‘Guys’, Sasha said, ‘I don’t think we’re supposed to be in here.’

‘Why not?’ Brian asked.

‘They’re coming’, Sasha said, ‘We should leave.’

Before they could move, however, the door swung open, revealing Sotheby and Gloria on the other side.

‘What are you three doing in here?’ Sotheby asked.

‘S-sorry, sir’, Brian said, ‘We were just leaving.’

However, before he could walk out the door, Sotheby noticed something about the statuette.

‘What’s _this_??’ he asked as he walked over and touched the brown dirt on it, ‘Did you do this?’

‘Uh…’ Brian replied nervously, ‘Did I do what, sir?

‘Enough!’ Sotheby said, ‘I _know_ you touched the car, and with dirty hands as well!’

‘I’m s-sorry, sir’, Brian said, ‘I’ll clean it, I p-promise!’

‘Like hell you will!’ an enraged Sotheby said, ‘You _know_ not to touch other people’s things without permission!’

The use of a swear word by Sotheby made Brian and Kieran giggle.

‘Ha!’ Brian said, ‘You said the four-letter h-word!’

This caused Sotheby to snap.

‘It’s **not** funny, Brian!’ he growled, ‘As punishment for what you’ve done, you can go to your room, while I clean the statuette!’

‘O-ok, sir’, Brian said before walking out the door.

‘That goes for each of you as well’, Sotheby said to Kieran and Sasha, ‘You can go and join your brother until dinnertime.’

‘Yes, sir’, Kieran and Sasha said before disappearing.

‘Sotheby’, Gloria said as the former was cleaning with a rag, ‘Don’t you think you may have gone a bit too far? They were just exploring.’

‘Perhaps’, Sotheby said, ‘But they’ve got to learn that there’s consequences for bad behaviour.’

**After dinner…**

‘Sir’, Brain said at the table, ‘About what happened earlier…’

‘Yes?’ Sotheby asked.

‘I’m sorry’, Brian said, ‘We all are.’

‘It’s ok’, Sotheby said, ‘It’s not like the statuette was broken or anything.’

‘So, it’s all clean now?’ Brian asked.

‘Yes’, Sotheby replied.

‘Anyway’, Brian said, ‘I want to know; who owned that car before you?’

‘The car was gifted to me by my ex-boss, V.A Vandevere, when his business burned down.’

‘I see’, Brian said, ‘What was it?’

‘It was a world-famous amusement park located on Coney Island, New York, U.S.A named Dreamland’, Sotheby said, ‘It was very high-tech for the seven years it was open, from 1912-1919; you could see the bright lights at the top of the central tower from across the Brooklyn Bridge in Manhattan at night.’

‘Isn’t that where that legendary flying elephant performed?’ Brian asked.

‘Yes’, Sotheby said, ‘Dumbo drew crowds from all over America and the world just to see him perform.’

‘I wish it still existed’, Brian said, ‘It sounded amazing.’

‘Me too’, Sotheby said, ‘At least I’ve got good memories though.’


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is rated E for somewhat explicit sexual content - it's not the whole chapter though.

_During the afternoon of February 14 the following year, things got embarrassingly awkward…_

‘Well’, Gloria said as Brian, Kieran and Sasha went outside before closing the door, ‘That’s them out of the way for the next few hours.’

‘Indeed’, Sotheby said as he cleared the table, ‘Lunch was delightful today, wasn’t it?’

‘Yes’, Gloria said, before she had an idea.

‘Hey, Sotheby’, she said, ‘I’ve just thought of something we could do while they’re outside.’

‘What’s that?’ Sotheby asked when he returned from the kitchen.

‘I was thinking we could…well, since it’s quiet and all…’ Gloria replied.

‘Hmm…’ Sotheby said before realising what she meant, ‘You know what, I was thinking the same thing myself.’

‘Really?’ Gloria asked.

‘Well, you gave me the idea, so not exactly’, Sotheby replied.

**Ten minutes later…**

‘Right’, Sotheby said while facing Gloria in the bedroom after the curtains had been pulled and the door shut, ‘Let’s do it!’

‘Ok’, Gloria said before undressing and stroking his member’s head and shaft.

‘Oh, m-my’, Sotheby said, ‘D-dear me…’

‘It’s just like old times, isn’t it?’ Gloria asked.

‘Yes’, Sotheby replied, ‘I’d been without your touch for so long that I’d forgotten how it felt.’

‘I thought you’d say that’, Gloria said, ‘I’ve been longing for you too.’

‘Indeed’, Sotheby said, ‘This is much better then doing it in my office alone at night, where I only had memories and my hands…’

‘And cloths’, Gloria said.

‘Oh, and how could I forget those?’ Sotheby said before realising something, ‘Blimey, I hope the laundry personnel never found out…’

‘That would have been embarrassing now, wouldn’t it?’ Gloria asked

‘Very much so’, Sotheby replied, ‘Anyway, let’s get back to what we were doing.’

‘Sure’, Gloria said before moving her hand faster.

However, she noticed that something wasn’t quite like how it used to be as she moved her hand upward.

‘Cor blimey’, she said, ‘Where is it??’

‘Where is what?’ Sotheby asked.

‘You know what I mean’, Gloria replied, ‘It’s as if it’s not there anymore.’

Sotheby’s heart sank in response to this.

‘Gloria…’ he said, ‘I’ve got something to tell you.’

‘Sure’, Gloria said.

‘The truth is I…it happened in 1925, before I returned home’, Sotheby said, ‘I had to go to hospital to have an operation to treat a medical condition that was caused in part by the treatment I had as a teenager with the silver wire, so that’s why it’s missing.’

‘Oh, you poor dear’, Gloria said, ‘But at least you were rid of it, whatever it was.’

‘I know’, Sotheby said, ‘I miss not being able to…well…have the “full experience”, if you know what I mean…’

‘Anyway though’, Gloria said as she lay on the bed, ‘Let’s do it.’

‘You said it’, Sotheby said as he lay on top of her and thrusted in.

Meanwhile, Kieran and come in to ask Sotheby a question.

 _‘Where are you?’_ he thought while waking up the hall, checking every room until he heard noises coming from behind a closed door.

 _‘Aha’_ , he thought as he opened the door, only to be utterly horrified at what was taking place, ‘I just wanted to…’

‘AAAHHH!’ They all shrieked upon making eye contact.

‘I’m so sorry…’ a red-faced and embarrassed Kieran said.

‘Can you please leave and close the door for now?’ Sotheby asked.

‘Sure’, Kieran replied before leaving.

‘Whatever you do’, he said to his siblings outside, ‘ _Don’t_ go into the bedroom with the closed door for now!’

‘Why not?’ Brian asked.

‘Trust me, I’ve went in there accidentally, and it wasn’t pretty; there were weird sounds and everything’, Kieran replied.

‘Oh…’ Brian said, having learned the basics of sex through talking with older peers at school while Sasha looked at Kieran with a confused expression, ‘I understand.’


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning: Mildly graphic depiction of illness - not too bad though.

One day in mid-June the following year, Brian noticed something was different when he walked into the lounge from the hallway.

‘Huh?’ he asked in a confused voice upon seeing Sotheby fitting large black shutters to the inside of the front window, ‘What is this all for?’

‘I’m attaching these to each window in the house, including the sliding door, so no light can be seen coming from inside at night’, Sotheby said, ‘It’s so we aren’t bombed in case of an air raid.’

‘Is this being done everywhere?’ Brain asked.

‘No’, Sotheby replied, ‘It’s only being done in rural areas, like this town, to shift attention away to the major cities; that way, the amount of damage can be lessened.’

‘I see’, Brian said before he realised something, ‘But what about our parents?’ What will they do?’

‘Don’t worry’, Sotheby said, ‘There are plenty of shelters built for this purpose in London and other cities, plus an efficient warning system that includes sirens that can be heard through thick concrete.’

‘Thank goodness for that’, a relieved Brian said, ‘It’s not like they have nothing, then.’

‘I’d be relieved if I lived in a big city too’, Sotheby said.

Suddenly, there was a noise coming from up the hall that sounded like coughing just as Sasha came running into the lounge.

‘Brian!’ she began, obviously panicked by something, ‘I just had to…’

‘Sasha!’ Sotheby said, ‘What did I tell you about running in the house?’

‘Sorry, Sotheby’, Sasha said, ‘But it’s urgent.’

‘Go ahead, then’, Sotheby and Brian said.

‘It’s Gloria’, Sasha said, ‘She’s been coughing non-stop since after breakfast.’

‘Dear me…’ Sotheby said before climbing down the step-stool to the floor, ‘I hope this isn’t what I think it could be…’

Five seconds later, there was knocking on Gloria’s door.

‘Hey, dear’, Sotheby said, ‘I heard you’re not doing too well.’

‘No’, Gloria said while sitting on the bed, ‘I’ve had this cough since this morning.’

‘Yes’, Sotheby said, ‘Sasha told me in the lounge a few seconds ago. Anyway, all the windows and sliding door have been shuttered.’

‘Good’, Gloria said before she began coughing again.

‘Here’s a few tissues, if you need them’, Sotheby said as he ripped some tissues out of the tissue box on the bedside table and gave them to Gloria.

‘Thanks’, Gloria said before covering her mouth with one, which quickly became covered with thick phlegm.

‘Goodness’, Sotheby said upon seeing this, ‘This isn’t good at all.’

‘No’, Gloria said, ‘I believe I should go and see the doctor right away.’

‘Ok then’, Sotheby said, ‘You get yourself and the kids ready, while I get the car ready to go outside.’

**Five minutes later…**

‘I can’t believe we’re going to town in a Rolls-Royce!’ Brian said to his siblings in the back seat while Sotheby locked the gates and got back in.

‘Me neither’, Sasha said as the car bounced along the shingle lane and turned onto the main road into town, ‘Even if it’s only to go to the doctor’s office.’

**At the doctor’s office…**

‘Ah, Mrs. Dunston’, Dr. Samson said, ‘Please come with me.’

‘I’ll stay out here and wait with the kids’, Sotheby said.

‘Ok’, Gloria said before disappearing down a short corridor.

‘Right’, Dr. Samson said as he closed the door and sat in his chair in the small room, ‘What seems to be the trouble?’

‘Well, I’ve had this cough since breakfast this morning, and it was only approximately an hour ago that I coughed up a thick mass of phlegm.’

‘I see’, Dr. Samson said, ‘What colour was it, if you can remember?’

‘Hmm, let me think’, Gloria said, ‘I seem to recall it being sort of a pale yellow-green colour.’

‘Ok’, Dr. Samson said while writing this information down, ‘Now, I’m going to ask you to sit on the bed so I can run a few tests.’

‘Sure’, Gloria said as she stood up and walked over to the bed.

**Ten minutes later…**

‘Ah, Gloria’, Sotheby said when she walked into the waiting room again, ‘How was it?’

‘Good’, Gloria said, ‘It isn’t too serious; just a mild illness that should clear in a few days, that’s all.’

‘Thank goodness’, a relieved Sotheby said before having an idea, ‘Hey, since we’re out, why don’t we go to the bakery next door and buy something for lunch?’

‘That sounds wonderful’, Gloria and the kids said.

‘Ok, then’, Sotheby said as they walked through the front door, ‘Let’s go.’


	11. Chapter 11

After they had exited the bakery and opened the car door to put a small tray of muffins in, a young couple walked up to them to comment on the car.

‘Hey there’, they said, ‘Nice car.’

‘Why thank you’, Sotheby said, ‘It was gifted to me by my ex-boss.’

‘I see’, the young man said, ‘You’re incredibly fortunate to have such a beautiful vehicle.’

‘It’s not that special’, Sotheby said, ‘I’ve seen flasher pieces of kit many times before.’

‘My husband’s right’, the young woman said, ‘Any well-meaning person would do anything to be able to afford something like this.’

‘Well, I come from wealth, so this car is reasonably cheap and basic to me’, Sotheby said.

‘Anyway, we best be off’, the young man said, ‘Good day.’

‘You too’, Sotheby said before they disappeared around the corner.

‘Right then’, Sotheby said, ‘Let’s go home.’

‘Yes’, Gloria and the kids said before getting in and closing the doors, while Sotheby did the same.

‘Ready?’ Sotheby asked.

‘Ready’, Gloria replied.

‘Ok then’, Sotheby said before starting the engine and turning around.

However, they didn’t expect to see the same young couple ten minutes later walking down the same lane that they lived down.

‘Oh’, Sotheby said when he opened the window, ‘Hello again. Didn’t expect to see you here.’

‘Hi again, sir’, the young man said, ‘We’re just going to our friend’s house for lunch; he lives in the brick cottage a few metres down.’

‘I see’, Sotheby said, ‘Well then, have a good time.’

‘You too’, the young man said, ‘Goodbye.’

‘Goodbye’, Sotheby said before closing the window and driving away.

Meanwhile, the whole ordeal had made Gloria slightly uncomfortable, even if she shrugged any suspicion off when they got to the gates.

‘Sotheby’, she said, ‘It’s just a feeling, but I think you should double check the locks on the gates tonight.’

‘I always do’, Sotheby said as he closed the gates, ‘You can’t be too careful these days. Besides, we have Pasha patrolling the section at night for extra security anyway.’

‘Ok’, Gloria said, ‘Just a feeling.’

However, a few metres down the shingle lane, the young couple hadn’t moved from where they had been standing at all when their characters changed dramatically.

‘Aha!’ the man, Percival, said, ‘So, they live at the house at the end of the lane, eh?’

‘Seems like it, Percival’, the woman, Margaret, said, ‘Now we’ve got them!’

‘Should we call the boss?’ Percival asked.

‘Yes, I think so’, Margaret replied as they headed up a driveway that split off the lane and ended in front of a brick cottage, ‘Tell him to come with us up to the end of the lane tonight with some tools; that car’s as good as ours.’

‘Ok’, Percival said with an evil grin, ‘I like the way you plan these things, Margaret.’


	12. Chapter 12

At 10:25 that night, Percival and Margaret, together with their friend, Quentin, quietly walked from the cottage to the big, black gates at the end of the lane.

‘Ok, Quentin’, Margaret said as she inserted a hairpin into the lock on the gate, ‘Time to find and take that car.’

As if on cue, the lock opened and Margaret removed and hanged it on one of the bars before quietly opening the gates wide.

Meanwhile, ‘Quentin had just managed to unlock the garage using the same method when he was ambushed by Pasha.

‘What the…’ Percival thought upon turning around and noticing the small, brown dog before he walked up to her, ‘Hey there, how are you?’

Pasha yelped in response.

‘You keep quiet for us now, and there’ll be a reward later, ok?’ Percival asked.

Pasha yelped again in response.

‘Ok, Quentin’, Percival said, ‘Let’s open these doors.’

‘Yes’, Quentin said as he flung one door after the other wide open, revealing the dark green car inside.

‘My word’, Margaret said upon looking at it, ‘It looks even more beautiful up close.’

‘How do we get inside though?’ Quentin asked.

‘Allow me’, Margaret replied as she walked up to the driver’s door and picked the lock with the same hairpin she used on the gates until it finally unlocked, ‘There, it’s unlocked.’

‘All right’, Percival said when he climbed in and sat in the driver’s seat, ‘Now, let’s get this thing started.’

‘Um…’ Margaret said, ‘This car is one of those new “key-ignition” types, so the hairpin can be used again.

‘Ok’, Percival said when he took it, ‘Thanks.’

Once the engine was started and the three of them were in the car, Percival reversed out of the garage and turned around to face the open gates, while Quentin got out and locked the garage doors.

‘Oh’, Percival said when he handed a sausage to Quentin, ‘Give this to Pasha for keeping quiet.’

‘Ok’, Quentin said while he put it on the ground for the dog, before he locked the gates after Percival drove out.

‘Finally’, Quentin said when he got in and closed the door, ‘Let’s go!’

‘Yes’, Percival said as the car disappeared into the night, ‘To the port!’


	13. Chapter 13

At 9:37 the next morning, Sasha was outside walking near the garage when she noticed something strange.

 _‘Huh?’_ she thought while looking at the brown, greasy mark, _‘What’s this?’_

She raced to the back door and opened it slightly, where she was horrified to discover that the car wasn’t there!

‘Oh, no!’ she said just as Sotheby walked up to her.

‘What’s wrong, Sasha?’ he asked.

‘The car!’ Sasha replied, ‘It’s gone!’

‘Let me have a look’, Sotheby said when he opened the door wide, only to be faced with an empty space.

‘What the…how…who could have done this??’ he asked.

‘I also noticed a handprint on the front doors, if that’s of any help’, Sasha replied.

‘Come on’, Sotheby said as they walked around to the front of the garage.

‘See?’ Sasha said as Sotheby examined the mark, ‘Someone’s been in here.’

‘But who?’ Sotheby said before realising something, ‘That couple…they took it.’

‘What?’ Sasha said, But the gates and doors are locked.’

‘Well then’, Sotheby said, ‘They must have come up here late last night, unlocked the gates and doors somehow, drove the car out and locked everything up again before driving away.’

‘At least Pasha’s still here though’, Sasha said.

‘Yes’, Sotheby said, ‘Although I’m surprised that she didn’t notify us of anything being amiss last night. Anyway though, we’ll call the police and file a report; it’s not like they can hide a Rolls-Royce anywhere now, is it?’

‘No’, Sasha said as they walked to the house, ‘They’d have to be as dumb as a sack of potatoes to even think they could.’

**Meanwhile…**

Percival parked the car in a designated space at the port where a man was waiting.

‘Good morning, James’, he said as he, Margaret and Quentin got out and walked up to the man sitting on a bench, ‘Here she is.’

‘It’s beautiful!’ James exclaimed, ‘Just like I imagined.’

‘Well’, Quentin said, ‘We did say that in the phone call yesterday afternoon.’

‘Yes, but I still can’t believe my eyes after seeing this!’ James said before getting serious, ‘So, is it mine now?’

‘Yes’, Quentin said, ‘Just hand over the case and it’s all yours.’

‘Ok’, James said when he gave Quentin a suitcase containing £75,000, ‘Here’s the money.’

‘Thank you, James’, Quentin said before they parted ways, ‘Nice doing business with you.’

However, fifteen minutes after driving the car onto the ship, “James”, whose real name was Toshihiko, walked into the bathroom of his cabin, where he washed the white pigmentation off his skin to reveal a darker tone.

‘Not too long to wait now, my daughter’, he said while looking at a photo of them together, ‘Daddy’s bringing a new car home!’


	14. Chapter 14

_Two months later_

_Kyoto_

_Japan_

‘Akiko!’ Toshihiko said while climbing the stairs, ‘Akiko!’

‘Hmm…wha?’ the 11-year old asked, ‘Oh, Dad, it is you.’

‘Guess what I bought home from England’, Toshihiko said, ‘Actually, why not just come with me into the garage?’

‘Ok’, Akiko said while following him down the stairs and through the open inside door of the garage, where she was completely lost for words.

‘So’, Toshihiko said, ‘What do you think?’

‘It…it’s amazing!’ Akiko exclaimed, ‘I can’t believe you bought a Rolls-Royce back with you!’

‘Yes’, Toshihiko said, ‘We’ll be the talk of the town after I get the new registration plates put on and associated paperwork done.’

**Five months later…**

‘I can’t believe it’s gone!’ Sotheby said when he walked into the lounge, ‘My ex-boss’ car, shipped out of the country to goodness knows where!’

‘Cheer up, Sotheby’, Gloria said, ‘At least they’ve found the record of all the ships that departed that day, so we may have some luck yet.’

‘I suppose you’re right’, Sotheby said, ‘We just have to wait and see.’

‘Anyway though’, Gloria said, ‘It’s 10:15 p.m.; time to go to bed.’

‘Ok then’, Sotheby whispered as they headed up the hall past the other three bedrooms where the kids were sleeping, ‘We can start afresh tomorrow.’

‘Goodnight, Sotheby’, Gloria whispered before walking into her bedroom and closing the door.

‘Goodnight’, Sotheby whispered before doing the same and turning the light off.

However, at approximately 3:15 the following morning, the entire household was woken up by loud droning of low-flying aircraft.

‘Oh, goodness!’ a panicked Sotheby said as he ripped the blanket and sheets off before rushing into Gloria’s room.

‘Come on!’ he said as Gloria stood up, ‘Get the children; we need to go!’

‘What’s going on?’ Brian asked, having been woken up by the commotion.

Suddenly, a loud noise came from one of the sirens in the town a few metres away.

‘Dear me!’ Brian said, ‘Is this…’

‘Yes’, Sotheby said, ‘I feared that this could happen…’

‘Goodness!’ a panicked Sasha said upon bursting through the door, ‘We need to get out of here!’

However, before they could move, a bomb landed just a few metres away from the house…

**Meanwhile…**

‘Lunch was fantastic today, Dad’, Akiko said.

‘Glad you liked it’, Toshihiko said, ‘And your mother did too, by the sounds of things.’

‘Anyway’, Akiko said, I’ll just go and bring something in from the car.’

‘Ok’, Toshihiko said.

_‘Right’_ , Akiko thought when she took the newly cut keys off the hook beside the cupboard, walked into the garage and opened the back door of the car and removed her hat from the back seat.

However, before she could close the door, she noticed something etched into the black glass of the separator window between the front and back seats.

 _‘What’s this?’_ she thought before taking a closer look, which was when she discovered that it was a small logo of some sort.

 _‘Hmm…’_ she thought, _‘Why would the letters “VAV” be etched into this window?’_

Suddenly, she came to a realisation when she remembered hearing something on the radio about a car with this exact logo in one of its windows.

 _‘Goodness!’_ she thought, _‘Could it be??’_

It was then she opened the door and got out before looking down, where she saw a small gold plaque displaying _“Brewster & Co. New York” _on it.

 _‘Oh my’_ , she thought before locking up and running into the kitchen, _‘I think I’ve found the missing car!’_


	15. Chapter 15

‘AAAHHH!’ Gloria and Sotheby screamed upon seeing the large, metal bomb in their garden, ‘It’s going to explode at any minute!’

Fortunately, the bomb turned out to be a dud when nothing happened during the next few minutes, much to their relief.

‘Phew!’ Sotheby said, ‘For a minute there, I thought we were goners.’

‘We’ll still have to have this removed somehow’, Gloria said.’

‘Indeed’, Sotheby said, ‘But it looks like we won’t be able to until after the conflict is over.’

A few days later, Sasha was talking with Gloria in the kitchen about the car, when they heard a voice in the lounge.’

‘…and that’s why I know it will be eventually located’, Sasha said as they walked towards the lounge door where they heard the radio on the other side.

‘What’s Sotheby listening to now?’ Gloria said before opening the door, only to see him in the rocking chair.

‘Hey, dear’, she said, although this seemed to fall on deaf ears, ‘What are you listening to?’

It was then that she realised what was going on when the voice on the radio and Sotheby said something simultaneously.

‘We shall **NEVER** surrender!’ they said simultaneously before Sotheby turned the radio off.

‘Oh, Gloria’, he said, ‘I didn’t see or hear you come in.’

‘Sounds like you’ve been listening to the Prime Minister’s broadcasts, again’, Gloria said.

‘Yes’, Sotheby said, ‘It’s just about the only thing worth listening to currently.’

‘Anyway, I’ve got some good news for you’, Gloria said, ‘They’ve managed to track the ship that the car was on to Kyoto, Japan.’

‘Dear me…’ Sotheby said, ‘How did it end up over there?’

‘I don’t know’, Gloria said, ‘But it’s the first step in bringing it home.’

‘Konnichi wa (Hello)’, Akiko said into the mouthpiece of a pay telephone in the local park, ‘I believe I’ve located a stolen vehicle.’

‘Ok’, the person at the other end said, ‘Can you please state the make, colour and registration number?’

‘It’s a dark-green Rolls-Royce convertible, with a registration number of 12.20.’

‘Sure’, the other person said, ‘Are there any other unique features that you can recall?’

‘Yes’, Akiko said, ‘The internal separator widow between the front and back seats has an etching of the letters “VAV” and there’s a small golden plaque between the right rear passenger door and the runner-board that says “Brewster and Co. New York” on it.’

Upon hearing this, the other person looked at his friend standing beside him.

‘Goodness me, I think we’ve found the missing vehicle that was stolen in the UK and shipped here!’ he said while covering the microphone with his hand.

‘So’, he said a few seconds later, ‘Where did you see the car last?’

‘It’s at my house’, Akiko said, ‘My father bought it back from England a while ago.’

‘Ok’, the other person said, ‘Where do you live?’

Akiko then gave her address to them as instructed.

‘Thanks’, the other person said, ‘We’ll pass this information onto the police and send a tow truck out.’

‘Thank you’, Akiko said, ‘Sayounara (Goodbye).’

‘Sayounara’, the other person said before the operator terminated the call.

**An hour later…**

_‘I wonder who that could be?’_ Toshihiko thought as he walked to the front door in response to knocking.

 _‘This’ll be fun’_ , Akiko thought while watching from the lounge, _‘He won’t know what hit him!’_

Indeed, as soon as Toshihiko opened the door, a police officer handcuffed him.

‘What’s the meaning of this?’ he asked.

‘You’re under arrest for receiving and possessing stolen property!’ the officer said as he was led away to a waiting police car outside.

‘Nice job, dear’, Akiko’s mother, Hitomi, said, ‘I’ve always been suspicious about him ever since we were married.’

‘Thanks, Mum’, Akiko said as the car was towed out of the garage and to the port.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning: Graphic depiction of bleeding to death.

_Date unknown_

_1945_

‘COR BLIMEY!!’ 14-year old Brian said when he saw Gloria lying on the porch before running into the kitchen, ‘Sotheby!!’

‘Whoa!’, Sotheby said, ‘Calm down!’

‘Sorry, Sotheby’, a panicked Brian said, ‘But you should come with me right now.’

‘Ok’, Sotheby said as they rushed outside, only to see Gloria lying on the porch in a puddle of blood.

‘GLORIA!! Sotheby shouted, ‘NOOO!’

‘Oh, Sotheby’, Gloria said, ‘I’m dying…’

‘No…’ Sotheby sobbed with tears running down his face, ‘Just…please…please don’t…’

Suddenly, Gloria began coughing up fountains of blood, covering a section of the patio in a thick layer of red.

‘Here…’ Gloria said weakly as she gave Sotheby and envelope, I…I w-want you…to…have…th-th…’

‘Gloria?’ Sotheby asked when she failed to complete the sentence, ‘Gloria??’

However, there was no response.

‘NOOOO!!’ Sotheby shouted before bursting into tears, ‘GLORIA!!’

‘I’m s-so sorry…’ Brian said sadly on the verge of tears.

**A few minutes later…**

‘I can’t believe w-what has j-just happened’, Sotheby sobbed, ‘The m-most wonderful person in m-my life…gone j-just like that.’

‘I know how you feel’, Brian said, ‘One of my classmates was hit and killed by a bus a few years ago outside school; I and him were great friends.’

‘Anyway’, Sotheby said when he opened the envelope and unfolded the letter, ‘Let’s see what this says.’

They couldn’t believe their eyes when they read the message.

_“Dear Sotheby,_

_The war has ended; we won._

_P.S: The car’s been found and is coming back._

_Regards,_

_Gloria.”_

‘Thank you, Gloria’, Sotheby said with the slightest hint of a smile.

**A month later…**

‘Goodbye, Brian’, Sotheby said as the train pulled into the station.

‘Goodbye, Sotheby’, Brian, Kieran and Sasha said, ‘We’re going to miss you!’

‘Me too’, Sotheby said, ‘But remember, you can always write to me.’

‘Yes’, Brian said from inside the carriage as the train whistle blew, ‘Anyway, we have to go.’

‘Ok then’, Sotheby said, ‘Have a safe trip back home.’

‘Goodbye!’ the three siblings said as the train pulled out and disappeared.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sotheby reaches 100 years of age and witnesses the 1969 Moon landing.

_April 1_

_1969_

‘Happy 100th birthday, Sotheby’, Sotheby said to himself as he blew his candles out, ‘What a trip it has been.’

‘Yes’, the T.V serviceman in the lounge said while installing and turning a brand-new colour T.V set in the corner, ‘100 is a grand age; not many live to experience it.’

‘I know’, Sotheby said, ‘And to think that I was born on this day in 1869, when all we had on the roads were horse-drawn carriages and carts; steam trains were new technology.’

‘And look at the world now’, the serviceman said, ‘We’ve got cars, planes, cruise liners, movies, T.V and have been through two world wars; plus were sending the first people to the Moon.’

‘Yes’, Sotheby said, ‘It’s amazing, when you think about it. Who knows what the next 100 years will bring?’

**Later that year...**

_“That’s one small step for man…”_ an astronaut said on the T.V screen while Sotheby was watching from the rocking chair.

 _‘Wow! V.A Vandevere was right after all; we finally made it to the Moon!’_ Sotheby thought before falling silent permanently.

_“…one giant leap for mankind”, the T.V blurted._


	18. Epilogue

_2o March_

_1972_

‘Dad?’ a six-year old boy asked as he pointed to a dark-green car in the museum, ‘What’s this?’

‘This car was owned by an American amusement park tycoon named V.A Vandevere, Stephen’, Brian replied, ‘I knew his butler, Sotheby; I and my siblings stayed with him and his wife during World War II.’

‘Tell me more about him’, Stephen said, ‘Please.’

‘When we go home, Stephen’, Brian said, ‘When we go home…’

**Up in Heaven…**

‘Would you look at that’, Sotheby said while watching Brian and Stephen talking about the car, ‘They’re talking about you!’

‘Indeed, they are’, Vandevere said as they stood on the maintenance platform of the Power Tower in the rebuilt Dreamland.

‘It’s good to be working for you again’, Sotheby said before he flew down to the ground, ‘By they way, about visiting the Moon one day; you were right.’

**The End!**


End file.
